HRD is actively reviewing the status of RACI and will update Appointing Authorities accordingly when more information becomes available.

We apologize for the inconvenience and will continue to work with your department to resolve upcoming issues and concerns.

Thank you

Dear Appointing Authorities and Chiefs of Police,For the officially issued announcement of this program and associated deadlines, please see the Regional Assessment Center Initiative Memos for each available title below:

Assessment Centers are a series of exercises designed to test how well a candidate would perform in a job, using task simulations and role players to replicate real, on-the-job situations. Candidates are evaluated on qualities such as Decision-Making, Written and Oral Communication, Interpersonal Skills, and Leadership. As these qualities are important in the promotion of police professionals, and yet difficult to measure in multiple-choice written exams, the use of Assessment Centers to evaluate promotional candidates is growing and gaining acceptance in Massachusetts. For many communities, the only barrier to using an assessment center is the relatively high costs associated with it, especially during these fiscal hard times.

Through the Regional Assessment Center Initiative, HRD is committed to overcome this barrier by offering civil service communities the option of a joint assessment center for certain exam series, at the same fee rate to applicants as our multiple-choice written promotional exam. We are also delighted that the initiative has brought forth a partnership among the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association (MCoPA), EB Jacobs, an international public safety testing consultant, and HRD. In the course of this initiative, MCoPA continue to provide assessors and subject matter expertise at no cost to the Commonwealth, and EB Jacobs will assist in test validity.

If your community anticipates a vacancy in an available title, HRD encourages you to join us in this testing initiative. We believe that this is an exceptional opportunity since the use of an Assessment Center has proven to be effective and insightful for both candidates and Appointing Authorities.

If you do not foresee a vacancy in your community, you can still join us and support this initiative by serving as an assessor, assisting us at the testing site, or committing your Deputy Police Chief to serve.

For more information regarding the Regional Assessment Center Initiative, please view the Regional Assessment Center Q&A Document . This document will be updated as needed to address the most commonly asked questions, so be sure to check back often for more information. Appointing Authorities who have additional questions regarding the Initiative may contact our office at civilservice@state.ma.us. We look forward to hearing from you.